<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Special by loulougoingsolo</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29743476">Special</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/loulougoingsolo/pseuds/loulougoingsolo'>loulougoingsolo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rhett &amp; Link</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Feelings, Fluff, Kissing, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:40:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,104</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29743476</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/loulougoingsolo/pseuds/loulougoingsolo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>If your homie suggests a make-out session after a strong margarita, you don't say anything about overcoming repulsion. (Aftermath of GMMore #1909)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Special</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>---</p>
<p>- 'Do you think they bought it?' Rhett asked, as he casually applied some of the Mountain Dew lip balm on his lips. The potato chips had really turned his lips crusty.</p>
<p>- 'What? The part about us never thinking about kissing each other? Ha! Of course, they didn't, there are dozens of clips to prove that claim wrong on Youtube alone.'</p>
<p>Link leaned his back on the counter of their dressing room, watching Rhett.</p>
<p>- 'Humph, that isn't purple, either. How the heck did I grab the only tinted lip balm of the set?' He felt his lips, thinking he could use some more. </p>
<p>- 'It didn't look too bad on you. It was pretty subtle. Stevie seemed to like it a lot.' </p>
<p>- 'Did you like it, though? Or were you too busy explaining how repulsed you are with the thought of kissing me?'</p>
<p>Rhett glanced at Link, who had now turned his back towards him, and seemed to be pouting.</p>
<p>- 'Dude, did it offend you? Come on, I was kidding! The whole thing was just a bit to mess with the shippers!'</p>
<p>- 'Well, it's easy for you to say. It’s not like someone called the idea of kissing you repulsive.' Link crossed his arms, still pouting, now seemingly angry. A faint blush had crept up his cheeks.</p>
<p>– 'Besides, you've been kinda mean recently, like with the couples’ game we did for Valentine’s. I was pouring my heart out to you, and you just…oh, forget about it. You don't get anything.'</p>
<p>Link stormed out of the room, banging the door dramatically as he did. Rhett sighed. He didn't quite know what was bugging his friend, but apparently it was his fault. Again.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Stevie was going through their plans for the next day’s shoot in her office, when she heard a knock on the door.</p>
<p>– 'Come in!'</p>
<p>Rhett pushed his worried face through the crack in the door. - 'Got a minute?'</p>
<p>- 'Do you know why Link is being extra weird right now? He just stormed out, and looked pretty pissed. I can't read him when he's like that', Rhett asked, with a deep frown on his face.</p>
<p>– 'Why are you smiling?'</p>
<p>- 'Rhett. You've known him for almost four decades. You really should know by now.'</p>
<p>- Know what?'</p>
<p>- 'You really didn't catch the flirting back there?' Stevie asked, nodding her head towards the GMM studio. Rhett looked gobsmacked.</p>
<p>- 'Rhett, Link was all ready to kiss you back there, and you turned it into a joke. His heart shattered. Why didn't you just kiss your homie? And give him a compliment for how good that chap stick looked? Seriously!'</p>
<p>Rhett didn't say anything. His eyes looked dark when he stepped outside. Stevie shook her head. She had watched these two pining for each other for way too long, but maybe she had just crossed a line. At least things would go forward now, her business associates needed to get over each other. And if it needed a little push to happen, well, maybe that was for her to take care of.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Rhett found Link curled up like a cat in his recliner in the secret loft. He had pulled his cloak of mythicality over his whole body and head. Silent music was playing in his phone. John Mayer? Of course.</p>
<p>– 'Link? Wanna tell me what's up?' Rhett asked, and then sat in his own chair next to Link's. A muffled sound from under Link's blanket answered.</p>
<p>- 'I'm fine. Leave me be.'</p>
<p>For a minute, Rhett considered leaving. But he also knew that leaving now wouldn't help healing whatever had broken in Link.</p>
<p>- 'I brought your lip balm. At first, I was going to throw it away, but I figured you might want it.' No response.</p>
<p>- 'You know, I did like how it looked. I just didn't want to show it to the cameras. It shook me, too.'</p>
<p>- 'Yeah, right.' Link pulled his cloak to cover himself even further.</p>
<p>- 'I don't think you're repulsive. If anything, you're too good-looking for your own good.'</p>
<p>Rhett pushed his finger through his hair, trying to find the right words.</p>
<p>- 'Hell, if it wasn't such a big deal for the fans, I'd have kissed you ages ago, just to get it over with.'</p>
<p>- 'You kissed Chase, though.' Link sounded so tiny and hurt. Rhett wanted nothing more than to bring his spirits up, yet he seemed to be failing miserably.</p>
<p>- 'That was for the episode, for laughs. You and me, it's different. It's…you know…special.'</p>
<p>Link lifted the hood of his cloak just enough to look his friend in the eyes. He then moved his gaze to Rhett's hand, which was grasping the tube of lip balm. Link reached his hand and took it. Then, without a word, he applied it to his lips. It was warm, softer than before. And tasted slightly sweet.</p>
<p>- 'So…you have thought about kissing me?' Link asked quietly.</p>
<p>- 'You know I have. I am.' Rhett's voice was just as quiet, almost a whisper.</p>
<p>- 'Wanna do it now? Off-camera? Just for us?' Link's eyes looked very blue, and shined in the dim lights, as if he was tearing up. How could Rhett refuse?</p>
<p>As they inched closer to each other, just before their lips met, Rhett murmured something Link quite couldn't hear. The kiss was tender, and tasted of dewy mountains, spring meadows and cherries. - No, that was the lip balm. - But the sweetness and warmth were all in the kiss.</p>
<p>If someone was to ask, for how long their kiss lasted before they drew apart, neither of them could have given an answer. And since there were no cameras, it didn't really matter. It was just between the two of them.</p>
<p>After, they were both silent, not awkwardly, but instead, understanding that things had shifted. It had been special. As Link looked at Rhett's lips, now tinted with the same shade of Code Red as his own lips, he couldn't wait for when he'd get to kiss the lip balm off from his friend’s lips. But there was that one question he needed to ask first.</p>
<p>- 'What did you say just now, before we kissed?'</p>
<p>At first Rhett looked puzzled. Frankly, he was having trouble remembering anything pre-kiss, and he struggled to focus on anything but Link's lips at the moment. But then he remembered.</p>
<p>- 'I just said, this doesn't mean we're doing that camping show.'</p>
<p>Link pulled his friend closer, and smiled as Rhett's beard tickled his lips. They wouldn't go camping for a show, but as far as Link was concerned, that didn't stop them from doing some more exploration on their own. Right now.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've watched this GMMore more times than recommended, so I just had to do something about it. <br/>I hope you enjoyed this little thingy.  Friendly and constructive feedback is welcome, and very much appreciated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>